Curry and chips but not on the hips for Linsey

LINSEY Blair had once been a slim and confident social butterfly but when ‘Mr Right’ walked into her life, so did complacency and over a few years the pounds gradually crept on.

Feeling like she had regressed back to her childhood when she remembered being bullied and referred to as ‘the chubby girl’, she began to feel at a low ebb, unhappy with very low self-esteem.

She began to let herself go, taking no interest in herself or her appearance to the point where her family, particularly her mum, became extremely worried about her.

She tried various weight loss methods and did achieve some temporary success at times, but not with any lasting effect.

“I always felt that I needed to deprive myself of food I enjoyed while I was on a diet, so I could never sustain it long term,” Linsey said.

The turning point came when she was given a photo of herself that was taken at a birthday party and she hardly recognised herself.

“I couldn’t believe that frumpy older looking woman in the photo was me, I was horrified,” Linsey said.

It was time for action, so when her brother’s fiancee wanted to join a local Slimming World group to lose a few pounds for her wedding and invited Linsey to join her, she decided to give it a go.

She said: “I felt nervous on my first night and wasn’t sure if the group was for me, but before long I had made friends, felt very safe and supported by the consultant and members, plus I was loving what I was eating.”

As Linsey began to see results on the scales she was hooked and loved trying out the meal ideas that came through during the group session each week.

She added: “I was astonished at the quantity of food I could eat and still lose weight - it was all good, tasty ‘normal’ food, but cooked in a healthy way and with very little weighing or measuring.

She was even delighted to discover a healthy way to cook chips, along with a recipe for curry sauce using standard store cupboard ingredients.

“I have learned that it’s possible to enjoy some of my favourite meals, such as curry and chips without it affecting my waistline.”

With the support she received at group and throughout the week from her consultant and other members she kept in touch with, she began to see the pounds drop off and her confidence grow.

“I felt so comfortable in the group, where there was no shame or embarrassment - in fact it became a very enjoyable social night that I looked forward to every week,” Linsey added.

Linsey is now only one pound from achieving her personal target weight, and lost an incredible 3st 8lbs in just over a year.

She was delighted to be able to wear a size 10 dress to her friend’s wedding recently and is even more excited about becoming a Slimming World Consultant.

Linsey added: “Having re-gained my confidence I can’t wait to help and support others towards achieving their own goals.”

She will be re-launching the Broughshane Slimming World Group on Tuesday, May 7 in Houston’s Mill at 5.30pm and 7.30pm.

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